Web feed for cigar machines



Nov. 22, 1960 H. H. WHEELER was FEED FOR 01cm MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet -1 Filed June 26, 1958 ws NW NQQ INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER BYQE igfl ATTORNEY Nov. 22,1960 H. H. WHEELER WEB FEED FOR CIGAR umcamss 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1958 INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,960,898

' was FEED FOR 01cm MACHINES Filed June 26, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

INVENTO R HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,960,898

WEB FEED FOR CIGAR MACHINES Filed June 26, 1958 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 246 FIG. 4 12.; H- 246 224 226 220 120 2 i M 222 1/6 gi 214/ 62 9a 250 new L94 1 1 22a 1 40 jc76 16% .764 l 30 r A/ /V I iLizziJl m j i N i I 204 :1 A I 24/12 MI 122 l I 7c? #6 76 24,2

FIG. 5

INVENTOR 70 HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,960,898

WEB FEED FOR CIGAR MACHINES Filed June 26, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY zpsaees WEB FEED non CIGAR MACHINES Henry H. Wheeler, Newtown, Conn, assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed .iune 26, 1953, Ser. No. 744,771

Claims. (Cl. 83-100) This invention relates to web tobacco material feeds, more particularly to feeds for feeding web tobacco material to a cigar machine.

In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the use of Web tobacco materials in cigars for both binder and the Wrapper.

While this invention is useful as either a binder or Wrapper feed, it is particularly designed and intended for the wrapper cutting station of a cigar machine. This is so because the wrapper of a fine cigar must have a particularly irregular conformation best formed by a die cut. It is obvious, of course, that where such a die cut is desired for the binder the invention would be equally useful.

It is an object of the invention to devise a method and a mechanism for feeding of a continuous web tobacco material to a die cutter to form a shaped web used or useful in the manufacture of a cigar.

It is another object of the invention to feed a small portion of such Web material from a continuous roll, sever a leading portion of said material and deposit it across a die cutter of a cigar machine.

It is a further object to provide means to remove excess scrap from the bed of the die cutter.

It is another object of the invention to obviate the necessity of continuous attendance at the die cutting station of a cigar machine.

It is still another object of the invention to suitably hold and support an advanced section of the web during the severance thereof from the main source of supply.

It is still another object of the invention to provide adequate, simple scavenging means to clear scrap from about the die.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for positioning a severed portion of web over such a die cutter in a pre-selected angular position.

It is a further object of the invention to incorporate mechanism having the above functions and objects to operate in timed operation with a cigar machine.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new method of forming and/or incorporating shaped Wrappers or binders in a machine-made cigar.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the roll wrap er feed illustrated in conjunction with a duplex wrapper die turret of a cigar machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the rol wrapper feed. taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial end elevation of the roll wrapperfeed in conjunction with the duplex Wrapper die turret, taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Patented Nov. 22, 1960 feed head, partly in section, illustrated in conjunction with the web feed table; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the duplex wrapper die housing in conjunction with the suction control valve, taken on line 66 of Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, the wrapper web W is fed from a reel R over a web tension roller 10 by means of upper and lower feed rollers 12 and 14 which are intermittently rotated for one direction feed by means of a reciprocating gear rack 16, the lower end of which, by means of a stud 17, is pivotally and adjustably secured to a T-shaped slot or groove 18 of an actuating lever 20 loosely mounted on a horizontal shaft 22.

The upper free end of the gear rack 16 slidingly engages with a suitably shaped housing 24 pivotally supported by a horizontal shaft 26 supported in suitable bearings of a bracket 28 secured to the top side of a bed plate 3B of the cigar machine frame 32. The teeth on the gear rack 16 engage with a gear 34 which is rotatably confined in housing 24 and loosely mounted on the shaft 26. The hub of said gear 34, projecting out of housing 24, is provided with a disc or flange 36 the face of which carries a plurality of pivotally mounted spring-loaded pawls 38 which engage with a ratchet 49 secured to the shaft 26 to which the lower feed roller 14 is secured.

To the lower feed roller drive shaft is also keyed a gear 42 (Fig. 3) which meshes with a gear 44 keyed to a sleeve 45 (Fig. 2) to which is also secured the upper feed roller 12.

Sleeve 45 is rotatably supported by a shaft 46 provided at each end with an eccentric extension 48 by means of which said shaft 46 is supported in a pair of suitable spring-mounted bearing blocks 56 slidably supported in upright bearing lugs 52 projecting from bracket 28. One of the eccentric shaft extensions 48 is pro vided with a trip lever 54 employed for the purpose of lifting the upper feed roller 12 out of contact with the Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the suction web lowe feed roller 14 to permit threading of the Web W between said feed rollers.

The actuating lever 20 is oscillated by means of a cam lever 56 which is integral with and projects from the hub of said actuating lever 20 (Fig. 3). Cam lever 56 carries a cam roller 58 which engages with a suitable cam track ti'of a drum cam 62 mounted on the main cam shaft 64 of the machine.

The web W is fed by the feed rollers 12 and 14 onto a horizontal table plate 66, the leading end portion of which forms the cover, and is secured to a lower suc-= tion chamber 68 formed as the top portion of a hollow stand 70 secured to the bed plate 30 of the machine. That portion of table plate 66 which covers the suction chamber 68 is provided with suitable holes 72 (Fig. 5) while the lower portion of the hollow stand it? by means of a suitable tube 74 is connected to a suction box 76 located within and forming an integral portion of a suction distributing housing 73 supported by and suitably secured to bed plate 30 of the machine.

Directly above but slightly spaced from the perforated table plate 66 is an upper suction chamber 3d having a bottom cover plate 82 provided with a plurality of holes '84 (Fig. 5). Upper suction chamber Si) is pivotallv suspended bv means of a stud 86 from a member 38 slidably supported by a pair of spaced horizontal guide rods 9%. Rods 5 0 at one end are supported by a bracket 92 while the other end of said rods are secured and su ported by a bracket 94. Both br ckets 92, 94 are mounted to the bed plate Silof the machine.

The supporting member 88 is provided with a projecting' lug 96 (Figs. 2 and 4) to whose free end is secured' one end of a horizontal gear rack 98 engaging a gear- 100 loosely mounted on and supported by the horizontal shaft {the hub of the gear 100 is integral with an ing lever 20 through gear rack 104, gears 102 and '100 and gear rack 98 transmits-reciprocating motion to member 88 and consequently to the-upper suction chamber 80. Chamber 80 by means of a flexible tube 112 is connected to the suction box 76 shown in Figs. '1, 4 and 6 and mentioned heretofore. The pivotallysupported suction chamber 80 is also provided'with a guide lug 114 (Figs. 2, 4 and the free end of which carries a roller 116 which engages with'a track 118 of'a horizontal guide bar 120 pivotally mounted on one end to the bracket 94 by means of a screw 122 while the other end of said bar is adjustably secured by means of a screw 124 to a slot 125 of a lug 126 extending from and integral with the bracket 92.

Adjacent the feed rollers 12 and 14 and close to the starting end of the horizontal table plate 66 is located a swingable knife blade 128 employed for the purpose of severing a predetermined length of the web W fed onto the table plate 66 by the feed rollers 12 and 14. Knife blade 128 operating in conjunction with a suitable ledger plate 130 (Fig. 2) is mounted on an oscillating shaft 132 which in turn is actuated by an arm 134. Knife shaft 132 is rotatably mounted and supported by a pair of spaced bearing lugs 136 integral with and projecting from the stationary lower suction chamber 68 (Fig. 1). compression spring 138 surrounding one end-portionof shaft 132 and confined between one of the lugs 136*and a collar 140 on shaft 132 is employed to maintain the desirable spring-urged contact between the ledger plate 130 and knife blade 128.

' The lower free end of the knife actuating arm 134 by means of a link 142 is connected to an arm 144 of a bell crank lever 146 while the other arm 148 of said bell crank lever by means of its ball extension 150 (Fig. 3) engages with a slot 152 of a lever 154 which is pivotally supported by a stud shaft 156 (Figs. 1 and 3) and vertically oscillated through a connecting rod 158 by a .cam lever 160 (Fig. 1) loosely mounted on a shaft 162. Cam lever 160 carries a cam roller 164 which engages with a cam track 166 of a suitable cam 168 mounted on a cam shaft 170 which, of course, is driven in synchronism (not shown) with the main cam shaft 64.

To the front end of cam shaft 64 is secured another cam 172 provided with a cam track- 174 which tracks a cam roller 176 pivotally mounted on the free'end of a cam lever 178 (Figs. 1 and 3) which in turn is loosely mounted on a stud 180 held by a yoke-shaped lug 183 secured to the frame 32 of the machine. From the hub of the cam lever 178 projects an arm 182 'whose free end is suitably connected to one end ofa horizontal rod 184 whose other end is connected toa gate valve plate 186 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6) which by means of a pair of guide rails 188 is slidably mounted to the top of'th'e suction box 76 in suction distributing housing 78.

Gate valve 186 is provided with two spaced ports'190 and 192 while suction box 76 consists of three separatechambers 194, 196 and 198. Chamber 194 by means of duct 200 (Fig. 6) is connected to the tube 74 which, as mentioned heretofore, is connected with the hollowstand 70 and the table plate suction charnber 68. Chamber 196 by means of ducts 202 is connected to the tube 112 which is connected to reciprocating upper suction chamber 80, also mentioned heretofore. Chamber 198 by means of a duct 204 connects with two other chambers 206 and 208 in housing 78 which, in turn, by's uitable ducts 210 and 212 (Fig; 2), respectively,- 81 connected with the wrapper suction head 214 and surrounding shell 216, respectively, of an intermittently rotating duplex wrapper die turret 218, similar to the one shown and describer in U.S. Letters Patent 2,316,825 granted to me on April 20, 1943. The suction may be supplied from any suitable source (not shown) through a tube 220 connected to a chamber 222 secured and connected to the side of housing 78.

In describing the operation of the wrapper feed illustrated in the drawings, assume that a predetermined length of wrapper strip S has been fed onto the horizontal table plate 66 (Fig. l) and has just been severed from the rest of the web W by means of the knife blade 128. At this moment the leading end portion of this severed strip S is still held by suction applied through the holes 72 (Fig. 5) of plate 66 from the lower suction chamber 68. The gate valve plate 186 is in a position with its port 190 in alignment with or directly over the chamber 194 of the suction control box 76, thus permitting suction from the housing 78 through chamber 194, tube 74 and hollow stand to reach the lower suction box 68 mentioned above. As the main cam shaft 64 continues its rotation, cam 172 through cam lever 178, arm 182 and rod 184 shifts the gate valve plate 186 to a position where its port 192 aligns with the chamber 196 of suction control box '76 thus causing a shutting off of the suction to the lower suction chamber 68 and an opening of the suction passage through tube 112 to the upper suction chamber which at this moment is located and dwelling above the lower suction chamber 68-and the leading end portion of the cut wrapper strip S. The change of the suction from the lower suction chamber 68 to the upper suction chamber 80 effects a release of the leading end of strip S from the lower suction chamber 68 and the table plate 66 and an adherence of said leading end to the. perforated bottom side of the upper suction chamber 88.

During continued rotation of cam shaft 64 and consequently of drum cam 62 the latter through cam lever 56, actuating lever 20 and gear racks 16 and 104 eifects turning of gears 34 and 102. Gear Mil being integral with gear 102, rotates to move gear rack 98 and consequently produces horizontal movement of the upper suction chamber 80, the perforated bottom plate 82 of which, at the moment, holds the leading end portion of the cut wrapper strip S by suction, as explained above.

During this forward movement of the upper suction chamber 80 the cut wrapper strip S, of course, is also carried forward and finally onto the wrapper suction head 214 of the duplex wrapper die turret 218. At the same time, the cut wrapper strip S is carried forward by said chamber 80, the feed rollers 12 and 14 feed a new length of web onto the horizontal table plate 66 but, due to a slight difference in ratio of the feed roller driving gear 42 and the rack actuating gear 100, the rack 98 which effects the forward motion of chamber 80, advances the latter and, consequently, the cut wrapper strip S, at a slightly higher linear speed than the leading edge of the web W which at the same time is advanced by the feed rollers 12 and 14 onto the table plate 66, thus creating a gap between the trailing end of the cut wrapper strip S and the leading edge of the web'W on the table plate 66.

When the chamber 80 reaches its forwardmost position, the cut wrapper strip S lies directly over the wrapper suction head 214 and the leading edge of the web fed forward over the table'plate 66 registers approximately with the extreme forward end of the latter. During a following short dwell of chamber 8%? in this forwardmost position, the cam 172 effects a shifting of the gatevalve plate 186 which causes the suction to shift from the upper suction chamber 80 to the wrapper suction head 214and shell 216 of the duplex wrapper dieturret and also allowing suction to reach the lower suction chamber 68. This change of suction causes the leading end portion of the web W to adhere firmly to the perforated forward end portion of plate 66 while the cut wrapper strip S firmly adheres to the-suction head 214 and shell 216" of the wrapper die turret 218. After releasing the cut wrapper strip S, the upper suction chamber moves backward to its original starting position, while the intermittently rotating duplex wrapper die turret rotates 180 and brings the wrapper strip carrying suction head 214 in line with a pair of reciprocating cutting rollers 224 (Fig. 2) spring mounted in the brackets 225 in the manner shown and described in US. Letters Patent No. 2,405,867.

Brackets 226 are carried by a horizontal rod 228 projecting from and secured to a member 230 (Figs. 2 and 4) carried by and mounted on a suitably shaped carrier bracket 232 slidably supported by a horizontal rail 234 mounted on bed plate 30. To the lower edge of carrier bracket 232 is secured a guide bracket 236 carrying a stud 238 which, by means of a link 24!) (Figs. 1 and 4), is connected to an actuating arm 242 which extends from and is integral with the cam lever 56 which, as previously described, represents the actuating means for the feed rollers 12 and 14- as well as the reciprocating upper suc tion chamber 89 which forwards the cut wrapper strip S from the table plate 66 to suction head 214 of the wrapper die turret 218. Therefore, every time the feed rollers advance the leading end of the web over the table plate 66 and the upper suction chamber 89 forwards the cut wrapper strip S onto the suction head 214 of the turret, the cutting rollers 224 advance also and roll over the cut wrapper strip S which was previously deposited onto the other suction head on the turret and which, in the meantime, Was revolved 180", as described above.

The cutting operation is accomplished by slightly lowering the suction head within the surrounding die 244 so that when the rollers 224 roll over the sharp upper edges of said die, a desirable shaped wrapper is cut from and out of the wrapper strip S. After the cutting rollers 224 have returned to their normal backmost position, the suction head is raised and the cut wrapper is picked up by a suitable transfer mechanism (not shown). The suction head is then lowered again with its top surface flush with the upper edges of the die 24dand the turret again turns 180 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 to bring said suction head again into wrapepr strip receiving position.

During the further rotation of the suction head with the turret any web material pieces or clippings which remain and adhere to the shell 216 are stripped from the latter and picked up by a suction nozzle 246 as the shell 216 passes beneath said nozzle. The latter by means of a suitable tubing 248 is connected to a conventional cyclone separator 250 which in turn by means of tube 252 (Fig. 1) is connected to the chamber 222 of the suction system described heretofore. The suction nozzle 246 and tube 248 is supported by a suitable bracket 254 secured to bracket 92. In order to prevent loss of suction during the dwelling periods of the duplex wrapper die turret 218, the latter is provided with a suitable bar 256 the upper surface of which contacts and keeps the bottom opening of nozzle 246 closed during dwelling periods.

Certain shapes and designs of wrappers often require that the suction head be positioned on the turret in a slight angular position. In such a situation, the direction of feed movement would have to be varied to offset for this slight angular difference. Accordingly, stationary guide rods 90 and horizontal guide bar 120, which with its track 118 controls the path of the pivotally suspended upper suction chamber 80, are movable about pivot 122 of guide bar 120 by loosening screw 124 in slot 125 of the lug 126. This structure assures suction chamber 80 of substantially the same starting position but permits it to pivot with the cut wrapper strip in the desired angle as it arrives at the delivery point over the suction turret.

I claim:

1. A unitary mechanical process for the continuous fabrication of a series of shaped portions of tobacco web material utilizable in the manufacture of a cigar comprising mechanically feeding successive stretches of said material from a continuous source across a flat surface, positively and successively retaining said stretches at said flat surface in an outspread condition, severing said successive stretches from said continuous source at said fiat surface, transporting said severed stretches successively to a die bed, die cutting a shaped portion from said severed stretches, transporting said die, said die shaped portion of said severed stretch and the residue of said severed stretch as a unitary group to a distant position where said shaped portion may be delivered, returning said die bed to its original position and scavenging the residue of said severed stretch from said die bed while so returning said die bed.

2. In a cigar machine provided with an intermittently rotating die turret, a plurality of stations, said turret having at least one die thereon and said turret rotating and dwelling with said die at said plurality of stations, one of said stations being a sheet receiving station, a transfer device to deliver a sheet to said die at said station, another of said stations being located to deliver a die cut portion of said sheet, and a stationary scavenging device located on the path of a die moving from said last-named station whereby said turret may be scavenged of scrap during its intermittent rotation.

3. The combination with a cigar machine having a duplex wrapper die turret intermittently rotated from one indexed position to at least one other indexed position, a table adjacent said turret constructed and arranged to underlie a sheet of web material uniformly located thereon, a guide support extending from said table across a portion of said turret, a transfer having a suction head adapted to suctionally hold a leading portion of said sheet and mounted to move along said guide support, reciprocating means engaging said suction head to move it along said guide support to draw said sheet across a die on said turret in one indexed position thereof, said guide support being adjustable to various predetermined positions to vary the path of transit and angulation of said suction head during its transit therealong so that a sheet may be longitudinally aligned with a die on said turret in various model positions thereof.

4. The combination with a cigar machine having a duplex wrapper die turret intermittently rotated from one indexed position to at least one other indexed position, a support adjacent said turret constructed and arranged to underlie a sheet of web material uniformly located thereon, a transfer having a suction head adapted to suctionally hold a leading portion of said sheet and mounted to move secantially across said turret to draw said sheet across a die on said turret in one indexed position thereof, said turret then rotating to said other indexed position to move said die to a delivery position to deliver a die cut portion from said sheet, and astationary scavenging device located in the direction of rotation between said delivery position and said sheet receiving position whereby said die and turret is scavenged of scrap during the intermittent rotation thereof.

5. A device substantially as set forth in claim 4 and further characterized by having a means on said turret to inactivate said scavenging device in an indexed position of said turret, said scavenging device being operative during the intermittent motion of said turret.

6. In a cigar machine provided with a duplex wrapper die turret, said turret being adapted to be intermittently rotated to locate each of said dies alternately at a wrapper material receiving station and at a wrapper delivery station, and said turret having a dwell at said stations, a device securable to said mach ne and operable therefrom comprising a pair of coacting feed rollers adapted to draw and feed a predetermined portion of said web, a support positioned to underlie said fed portion, means to sever on said support a section of predetermined length from said portion, a transfer having suctional holding means adapted to hold the leading part of said severed section, said transfer being mounted to move across said die to draw said section thereto, and a device to cock said transfer to position said section longitudinally to said die in one indexed position on said turret.

7. In a device substantially as' set forth in claim 6 further characterized by having a stationary suctional scavenging means mounted above said turret and in the path of travel of said dies subsequent to said delivery station to scavenge scrap from said turret after the die cut portion has been picked up at said delivery station.

8. In a cigar machine provided with a duplex cutting die turret having a pair of dies thereon and being rotatably indexed substantially 180 degrees per cycle of said machine to move said dies from one station to a subsequent station, a source of continuous tobacco web material, a support, a pair of coacting feed rollers operative to draw therebetween a leading portion of said Web and deposit said portion on said support, suctional holding means to hold said portion on said support, cutting means to sever a section of predetermined length from said portion supported on said support, a transfer having suctional holding means adapted to suctional-1y hold a leading part of said section to draw said section across a die of said turret in an indexed position thereof, said transfer coming to a predetermined position above said die to deposit said section in alignment therewith, said turret then indexing said die to a subsequent station, means to die cut said section on said die, a delivery station where said section may be delivered from said die, a suctional scavenging device positioned above said turret in the path of said dies of said turret subsequent in the direction of rotation to said delivery station, and means on said turret operative to engage and cut off said device when said turret is at a stationary indexed position. r

9. In a cigar machine provided with a duplex wrapper die turret, said turret being intermittently rotated to locate each of said dies alternately at a wrapper material receiving station and at a wrapper delivery station, and said turret having a dwell at said stations, a device securable to said machine and operable therefrom comprising a pair of coacting feed rollers adapted to draw and feed a predetermined portion of said web, a support positioned to underlie said fed portion, means to severon said support a section of predetermined length from said portion, a transfer having holding means adapted to hold the leading part of said severed section, said transfer being mounted to move across said die to draw said section thereto, and a device to cock said transfer to position said section longitudinally to said die in one indexed position on said turret.

10. In a cigar machine provided with a duplex cutting die and a pair of dies thereon and being rotatably indexed degrees per cycle of said machine to move said dies from one station to a subsequent station, a source of continuous tobacco web material, a support, a pair of coacting feed rollers operative to draw therebetween a leading portion of said web and push said portion onto said support, holding means to holdsaid portion on said support, cutting means to sever a section of predetermined length from said portion supported on said support, a transfer having means to hold a leading part of said section to draw said section across a die of said turret at one of said stations, said turret subsequently indexing said die to a subsequent station, said die returning to said first station after removal of the die cut portion of said section, and a scavenging device positioned above said turret in the path of said dies during said return and operative to scavenge said die priorto its return to said first station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,315 Wheeler May 16, 1939 2,253,868 Rober Aug. 26, .1941 2,316,785 Gladeck Apr. 20, 1943 2,837,158 Wheeler June 3, 19'58 

